Nullstone

A nullstone looks like an uncut diamond, about an inch in diameter, deeply flawed and cracked throughout. To detect magic and similar spells, nullstones not only do not seem magical, but appear to be completely devoid of the energies that usually permeate all things. Indeed, the only way to tell nullstones from worthless gemstones is to notice the magical “blank space” they occupy.

When a nullstone is dropped, thrown, or smashed, it releases an Antimagic Field ten feet in diameter from its’ present location as the spell, except with a duration of one minute (ten combat rounds). This field is stationary, and does not move even if the shards of the nullstone are moved. A nullstone’s Antimagic Field does not enhance or negate any other Antimagic Field in its’ area of effect. The act of using a nullstone destroys it, making each nullstone a one-use item.

When found as treasure, there are typically 3d4 horribly flawed gemstones (valueless), and 2d4-1 functional nullstones. Nullstones may be thrown as grenadelike weapons with a range increment of 20 feet. Nullstones may also be launched from a sling, dealing 1d3 damage on a direct hit, with a -1 penalty on the attack roll. A nullstone may also be used in other ways; anything that would crush, break, or shatter a nullstone activates it in the process.

Nullstones are created in batches, and require the Craft Wondrous Item feat. Creating a batch of nullstones requires ten flawless, uncut white diamonds worth 2,000 gp each, a laboratory similar to an Alchemist’s lab that costs 500 gp to establish, and a week of enchantment during which the creator must spend at least eight hours per day working on the nullstones. The slots for the nullstone’s prerequisite pells are considered used for each day of their creation, and the creator may not engage in any strenuous acts during the nullstones’ crafting. When completed, all the diamonds will have been badly cracked and flawed. Creating nullstones in this way results in 2d6-2 successful nullstones, while any of the ten diamonds used which do not take the enchantment successfully have been shattered (they can still be ground into diamond dust, however). Nullstones are delicate, even more so during their construction, and any major disruption in a laboratory during their creation will ruin the entire batch. Due to the heavy use of antimagic fields, the same laboratory may not be used to create other magic items in the same week that the nullstones are being made.